Pressure-sensitive adhesive tape dispenser



Oct. 1l, 1955 C, C, HANSQN 2,720,262

PRESSURESENSITIVE ADHESIVE T APE DISPENSER fray/22307' Oct. 1l, 1955 c.c. HANS'ON 2,720,262

PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE 4TAPE DISPENSER Filed Feb. 4, 195o 2sheets-sneer 2 United States Patent O PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ADHESIVE TAPEDISPENSER Charles C. Hanson, New Canada Township, Ramsey County, Minn.,assignor to Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, Minn., acorporation of Delaware Application February 4, 1950, Serial No. 142,521

1 Claim. (Cl. 164-84.5)

This invention relates to mechanisms for the longitudinal propulsion ofnormally tacky pressure-sensitive adhesive tape in dispensers and othertape handling devices and machines.

A primary problem in constructing machinery for dispensing, applying andotherwise handling tacky tape, as contrasted with dry tape, is the factthat tacky tape sticks to whatever it touches. Thus when machine partscontact the tacky side of tape in the process of handling it, provisionmust be made for pulling it loose again.

An objective of the present invention is to provide an improved meansfor freeing tacky tape from a propelling member to which it has becomeadhered. Another objective is to provide an improved device forpropelling and/ or dispensing tape.

The present invention provides a tape propelling mechanism comprising aplurality of pulleys and an endless spiral spring belt mounted on thepulleys. A presser member presses a length of tape extending along aspan of the belt into adhesive contact with the segmented perimeter ofthe belt. As the belt moves, the tape is drawn along with it. The taperemains in adhesive contact with the belt until the belt begins to passaround one of the pulleys, whereupon the segments successivelyaccelerate whereupon the adhesive contact is broken.

Additionally, tape is pressed into adhesive contact with the belt insuch a manner that the tape becomes ridged along its length. Such ashaping of the tape stiffens it so that it is thrust and/ or heldoutwardly away from the belt and the pulley when the adhesive contactbetween the tape and the belt is broken at the turn.

A manually operated dispenser is described and illustrated herein as anillustrative embodiment.

Figures l and 2 are left and right side elevations, respectively, ofsuch a dispenser;

Figure 3 is a plan view;

Figure 4 is a front elevation;

Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 in Figure 1; and

Figure 6 shows an alternative form of pulleys.

To an elongate base 16 is lixed an upright plate or frame 17 whichextends longitudinally of the machine.

Towards the rear a drum 18 for holding a supply roll R of normally tackypressure-sensitive adhesive tape T is rotatably mounted on the frame. Atthe front a downwardly extending blade having a severing edge 19 is xedto a casing 20 above a tape discharge port or window 21 that is cut inthe front wall of the casing.

A sloping tape guide 22 directs the tape downwardly through the windowbeneath the knife edge as the tape is thrust forwardly. The guide ismade of .005" brass or steel shim stock bent into the form of a atcompression spring, and serves to prevent the tape from remaining incontact with the cutting edge.

Between the severing means 19 and the tape supply holding means 18 is atape propelling mechanism.

An idler pulley 25 is journaled on a horizontal shaft 26 that is fixedto the frame 17. Forwardly thereof is a 2,720,262 *Patented Oct. 11,1955 drive pulley 27 fixed to` a horizontal shaft 28 that is journaledin the frame.

An endless spiral spring belt 30 is mounted on the pulleys 25 and 27.The spring from which the belt is formed is circular in cross section.The pulleys and the belt are positioned and aligned so that a length ofwithdrawn tape extending from the supply R to the knife edge 19 willextend along the perimeter of the upper span of the belt.

By span is meant that portion of the belt that extends from the pointwhere it is tangent to the pulley 25 to the point where it is tangent tothe pulley 27, both points inclusive.

A presser member in the form of a roller 31 is journaled on a shaft 32which is fixed on a movable arm 33. The arm, mounted to pivot around theshaft 26, is impelled by a spring 34 to press the roller 31 downwardlyagainst the belt 30 with the tape between the roller and the belt. Theperiphery of the roller 31 is cut with a groove complementary to theridged or rounded shape of the perimeter of the belt, and the tape isaccordingly pressed by the roller into adhesive contact with the beltfor a substantial distance across the width of the tape. This adheresthe tape to the belt. It also renders the tape longitudinally ridgedalong its 'central portion in conformity to the belts perimeter (Figure5).

The presser roller 31 adheres the tape to the belt at a point along theupper straightaway or span of the belt. The segments of the belt arecloser together along a span than they are along the portion of the beltthat is trained around a pulley.

Thus upon forward movement of the upper span of the belt, with the tapeadhered thereto in the manner above described, the segments spread andeach one successively accelerates in respect to the succeeding segmentand thus tears itself loose from the tape when the belt leaves thestraightaway and begins to pass around the pulley 27.

The tape, being ridged as above described, is stiffened by the ridgesufciently to retain its horizontal position even after the belt coilsor segments are torn away, so that continued propulsion of the tapethrusts it through the window 21 under the knife edge 19. After adesired length has thus been thrust out, it may be severed by graspingthe end and drawing the tape upwardly against the knife.

The belt is propelled by a downward stroke of an operating lever 36pivoted at 37. This turns the pulley 27 clockwise (Figure 1) by means ofthe chain 38, sprocket 39 and one-way clutch 40 (Figure 5). Anadjustable stop 41 limits the stroke of the lever and thereby measuresor controls the length of tape dispensed.

There are numerous alternatives within the scope of the invention.

For example, the relative size of the pulleys 25 and 27 may vary. Figure6 shows a propelling mechanism wherein the pulley 127 at which the taperemoval takes place, is quite small in relation to the other pulley 12Sand to the thickness of the belt 130.

I claim:

A normally tacky pressure-sensitive adhesive tape dispensing mechanismcomprising means :for holding a supply of tape, a tape severing meansspaced from the supply, and a tape propelling mechanism between thesevering means and the supply, the said propelling mechanism comprisingat least two pulleys, an endless spiral spring belt mounted on thepulleys, the spiral spring of which the belt is formed being circular incross-section, the pulleys being positioned to permit a length ofwithdrawn tape extending from the supply to the severing means to extendalong the perimeter of a span of the belt, a presser member adjacent thesaid span with the tape between the presser and the belt to press thetape into adhesive contact with the belt, and means for driving 1lthe--beltin a direction to propel' the tape outwardlyA beyond the b eltto a point adjacent the severing means, the severing means being in aposition to sever the tape after the tape has left the belt.

ReferencesiCited in the file of tii'islpartent" v UNITED STATES PATENTSRe.. 22,945 Engberg 1 1966.2,"1947 4 Evans et al Mar. 11, v1930 Howlandet al Mar. 27, 1934 Krueger July 24, 1934 Anderson et al Feb. 25, 1941Thomas Feb. 6, 1945

